2002 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REGULATOR FOR THE DRIVER SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW HAS FAILED. THE WINDOW IS OFF TRACK AND THE REGULATOR NO LONGER WORKS. HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT ABOUT 32,000 MILES THE MECHANIC INDICATED THE OIL WAS A QUART LOW. I HAD THE COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES AND THE MECHANIC NOTED OIL IN THE ANTIFREEZE. AT 55,000 MILES THE CAR NOW NEEDS A NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT A COST OF $800 TO $900. GM FACES A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN CANADA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND MANY U.S. BLOGS INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. SERVICE STATIONS ARE REPORTING THAT THIS FAILURE IS COMMON AND DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. BECAUSE OF THIS, BUICK SAYS IT HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. IN ADDITION TO THE GASKET PROBLEM, I HAD TO REPLACE THE WIPE BLADE MECHANISM AND LEAKING WHEEL BEARINGS. THESE, TOO, WERE PREMATURE PROBLEMS AND NOT DUE TO ANY ABUSE OR NEGLECT OF CAR MAINTENANCE. GM WILL NOT RECOGNIZE A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS DUE TO THE FACT I WENT TO A LOCAL PRECISION TUNE FOR MAINTENANCE. THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM MOVED ABOUT 45 MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOME MAKING IT VERY INCONVENIENT TO GO THERE FOR MAINTENANCE. *AK

I GOT A BRAND NEW CAR, RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NEEDED TO BE CHECKED. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ALRIGHT. IN SEVERAL PAST WINTER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STAYED IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND WOULD NOT GO DOWN, BLOCKING MY VISION, TOOK IT BACK, THEY PUT A NEW MOTOR IN IT, AND IT WORKED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WINTER, SAME THING HAPPENED, AND THEY FIXED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN 2003,2004,2005, AND 2006, MY WARRANTY RAN OUT IN 2007, SO THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ANY MORE. I EEL L LIKE THEY PROLONGING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS UNTIL MY WARRANTY RAN OUT, AND I WAS STUCK WITH THEM UPRIGHT WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE LOOKED ON THE COMPUTER AND FOUND AT LEAST 6 MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT STATED A PIECE OF FUEL INJECTION DETACHED AND BLEW OFF THE VALVE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. THE REPAIR COST $1,200. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,263. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ

TRANSMISSIONS ON AMERICAN CARS ARE MESSING UP TOO EARLY. MY FRIEND'S DODGE CARAVAN WENT OUT AFTER THE 36000 MILE WARRANTY, MONTH LATER. OTHER CARS THE SOLENOID ON UPSHIFTS 1-2 AND 3-4 WERE CAUSING HARSH UPSHIFT PROBLEMS ON MANY CARS. OLD CARS BEFORE 2000, TRANSMISSIONS DID NOT FAIL FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, TODAY'S MODEL TRANSMISSIONS WERE CAUSING PROBLEMS THE FIRST 3-5 YEARS. THESE PROBLEMS ON THE 2002 BUICK CENTURY HAPPENED THE LAST 3-5 YEARS. 1. HARSH UPSHIFTS ON TRANSMISSION, 1-2 3-4. 2. POWER WINDOWS, AFTER 3 YEARS, DIDN'T WORK ON REAR WINDOWS AND WERE TO SLOW ON THE FRONT WINDOWS. 3. STEERING WHEEL STEREO CONTROLS VOLUME WAS NEVER FIXED AFTER TAKING 5-10 TIMES FOR REPAIRS. THESE WERE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS I WAS SPENDING FOR 4-5 YEARS OF DRIVING. IF NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THIS I WILL BE TURNING TOYOTA, CAMRY. YOUR ADVICE WILL VERY GLADLY BE APPRECIATED. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT GO DOWN, BUT STAY IN FRONT OF MY VISION, BLOCKING THE VIEW. I TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM , BUT EVERY YEAR IN WINTER THEY STILL STICK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIED. FOUR YEARS EVER WINTER THEY BLOCK MY VISION. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2002 BUICK CENTURY AT ANY SPEED ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING UNDER ALL ROAD CONDITIONS. OCCASIONALLY, THE CONTACT WOULD TURN ON THE HIGH BEAM AND TOGGLE TO REGULAR BEAMS SO THAT THE LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. THE FAILURE HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY EVERY EVENING. THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE LIGHTS STILL TURN ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT WAS REFEREED TO EQ MUFFLER TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE STILL HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK UPDATED 02/27/07. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE 2002 BUICK CENTURY THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON, AFTER DRIVING A COUPLE OF MILES THE LIGHT WENT OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE GARAGE WHICH PERFORMED A PRESSURE TEST AND FOUND A HOLE IN THE MANIFOLD. THE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *AK THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING COOLANT. UPDATED 02/22/07. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2002 BUICK CENTURY, FROM BUICK LANDMARK AUTOMOBILE OF TUSCALOOSA ON 10/22/2002 WITH 24733 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IN JUNE 2006 THE CONTACT SAID THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE CLICKING NOISES WHEN TURNING RIGHT. IN 6/7/2006 A GOODYEAR STORE REPLACED THE RF HUB ASSEMBLY AND THE RF OUTLET TIE ROD AT A COST OF $542.91. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE ABS WAS VIBRATING CAUSING THE ABS LIGHT TO COME ON WHEN IN SLOW SPEED LEFT TURNING. TWO DAYS AFTER THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOISES. THE ABS LIGHT TURNED ON. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LEIGH BUICK OF TUSCALOOSA ON 7/6/2006 LOCATED AT 3200 SKYLAND BLVD TUSCALOOSA AL 35405 TEL.205-556-1111. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT FRONT HUB, AT A COST OF $456.92. TWO DAYS LATER THE CONTACT BEGAN TO HEAR THE SAME NOISE AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE LEFT FRONT HUB WAS REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE A FEW DAYS AFTER, BUT NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY LOOSE AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE VERY HARD MAKING THE CAR UN-DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON A FLATBED TRUCK ON 8/21/06. ON 8/23/06 THE DEALER REPLACED 2 BULBS AND THE THIRD BRAKE, THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY. SHORTLY AFTER, WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE CONTACT COULD NOT APPLY THE BRAKE AT ALL WHILE TURNING. THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT TURNED ON, BUT IT TURNED OFF WHEN COMPLETING THE TURN. THE CONTACT ALSO SENSED A BURNING SMELL. THE DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE NEEDED THE PUMP VALVE BLOCK REPLACED AND THE ABS PUMP MOUNT FLUID. THE TWO REAR POWER WINDOWS DO NOT CLOSE, THE DIGITAL ODOMETER AND DIGITAL PANELS ARE NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT CAN NOT TELL THE MILEAGE, SPEED OR GEAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WANTS TO MAKE A COMPLAINT SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES. *NM UPDATED 2/21/2007 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE PADS ON THE VEHICLE WERE DEFECTIVE. THE BRAKE PADS BEGAN TO SEPARATE AFTER 64500 MILES. THE SERVICE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE SEPARATION. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. UPDATED 12/28/06. *JB